Top 10 tricks of 2013

Top 10 tricks of 2013

So many heavy tricks go down each season, making our Top 10 Tricks one of the hardest lists to narrow down. For 2013 there were more urban inverts than ever and a lot of riders setting one or both feet free of bindings in the streets and backcountry. Dudes were also stepping up to more transfers and combos in the streets, while in the backcountry things were just getting bigger and more consequential (as usual). The following tricks are snapshot of progression in 2013. To make the list tricks couldn't just be stomped or done with style, they also had to push the level of snowboarding.

Cocard 50-50’d this ungodly piece of steel in Absinthe’s 2012 film Resonance. Just to make sure everyone knows who owns this thing, he went back and front lipped it.

Halldor Helgason. PHOTO: Einar Ennarson.

Jason Robinson, backside rodeo 720 to straight-line

Video: Absinthe, Dopamine

A back rodeo seven in the backcountry—that’s a decent trick for your video part. A straight-line down an AK peak—that’s a decent shot for your video part. Now combine the two…

Frank April, 50-50 backflip to frontside lipside

Video: X Games Real Snow

That’s a new one.

Eric Jackson, tight fit

Video: Jake Blauvelt’s Naturally

E-Jack saw this micro-arch by pure luck while heli-ing outside of Pemberton, BC, Canada. It was one of those things where the snow levels had to be absolutely perfect for it to be rideable and on many years this would have been covered. Once he dropped into this thing it was pure commitment.

Justin Fronius, 50-50 frontside wallride to backside wallride

Video: Videograss, The Last Ones

Before Fronius tried this trick he had no idea it was even possible. “I was just there and tried it,” he says. “Sometimes it works out and you trip on it. It's crazy.”

Nicolas Muller, Ollie

Video: Red Bull Ultra Natural

Okay, this is the exception to the rule when it comes to the other tricks on this list, but Nico took the foundation of all freestyle snowboarding and used it to win Best Trick at Ultra Natural this year. No second try to get it perfect, he holds it together in the landing, flowing immediately into the next air. Who else could pull that off?

Bode Merrill, one-foot backflip

Video: Absinthe, Dopamine

Bode’s never been afraid to let that back foot fly. From his one-foot backside seven japan to airing cat track gaps, this is the latest incarnation.

Eric Jackson, frontside 1260

Video: Jake Blauvelt’s Naturally

During Blauvelt’s rebate session on the wind lip at Last Frontier Heli in Northern BC, Canada, E-Jack sent this 1260 about as deep as you can go and still ride away.

The fact that he did this under doctors orders not to ride after hitting his head at X Games. The fact that he put some filthy mattresses he pulled from the dump in the gap as safety measure. The sheer not-giving-a-f@#kness of it all. This is the top trick of 2013.